AdventWord: Grow

Originally published on The Episcopal Church's blog as part of AdventWord reflections series.

The Young Adult Service Corps is giving me the opportunity to experience God in another part of his kingdom and build relationships. It has inspired my spiritual and personal growth. I am working alongside our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion to promote values of sharing, stewarding God’s creation, and economic development through the Episcopal Church in the Philippines.

Living in a different land, adhering to a new set of social norms, and existing within an unfamiliar system, I’ve encountered new opportunities to strengthen my virtues. When a jeepney leaves an hour past scheduled or electricity is out for two weeks after a typhoon, I have two options. One, I can stick to my default way of being—expecting everything immediately and according to plan. Or, two, going Filipino style—being patient and present together wherever you are, whomever you’re with.

As an American now serving as a missionary abroad, I’ve observed that each culture has unique ways of expressing their values. Experiencing new customs – through observation, being on the receiving end of interaction, or being encouraged to participate myself – I’ve embraced many of the values expressed in the Philippines.

[Are you a young adult Episcopalian ready to serve God and neighbor abroad? Visit the Young Adult Service Corps page to learn more about this amazing program.]

For example, Filipinos pride themselves on their warm hospitality which any visitor will surely experience first-hand upon entering a community. Passersby greet you warmly. Approaching any household, one is quickly invited for coffee and bread, and people take time to sit, talk and be together.

Having experienced this outward expression of inner grace and goodwill, and also having the opportunity to live this custom when visitors enter our office in the diocese, I am inspired to adopt the habit in the U.S. Often, we feel too busy to sit and have a conversation; in the Philippines, it is culturally mandatory! Moreover, this practice truly honors our blessing of fellowship. I will live out this souvenir of the Filipino way with those who cross my path in life going forward.

Having been inspired and given space to grow, I am energized to carry these lessons and values in my ventures beyond YASC. At times, I feel overwhelmed to share all my new experiences with those back home. If I just said it in words, I would spend all my time on writing letters! However, I’ve realized that the lasting treasure is what is being formed into my being. I will share these experiences by exemplifying the lessons in my daily life in due time. The instillation of these virtues is a blessing, and I look forward to living out the truths I’ve discovered here.

In turn, all have the capacity to grow from lessons learned in our walk of life. Spiritual growth is not static. Embrace values that new people and places can teach you. Incorporating these into our lives is a way of honoring our formative experiences as well as sharing the gifts from our path with loved ones.

E-CARE hosts international development training

Twenty-two Anglicans from Myanmar and Mexico journeyed to the Diocese of Santiago for E-CARE’s annual International Development Training, eager to learn how to develop the economic wellbeing of their communities. They came to see how the Episcopal Church in the Philippines established self-reliance as a Church, in pursuit of financial independence themselves. The Diocese of Santiago serves as a shining example of how cooperatives can both empower communities with access to capital and generate income for the church.

Priest and lay members of Christ Episcopal Church share challenges and lessons in forming their savings group.

For one week, trainees, a couple E-CARE community organizers and I immersed ourselves in the St. Williams Multipurpose Cooperative in Paracelis, Mountain Province, surrounded by beautiful lush forest landscape (with no internet or cell service!). We learned firsthand of St. Williams path from a new mission station surrounded only by trees and a few farms in the 1990s to becoming a thriving parish and a catalyst for significant development in the barangay (village).

Inside the main office of St. Williams' savings & lending operations

St. Williams Multi-Purpose Cooperative began as a savings group among 3 of the Episcopal Church women with a capital of about $20. At this time, cash flow was heavily restricted. If a family needed to money for school tuition or if a family member were to fall ill, one would need to walk to the center of town (a half day trek through the mountains) and try to borrow from a wealthy businessman, with no certainty that one might be willing to lend.

They began small, with membership limited to only church women, then all church members, then Anglicans; now, any person who wants to join in the spirit of cooperation is welcome. Over the last 25 years, it has grown to have 1800+ members, 50+ employees, and a capital assets valuation greater than half the municipalities in the Philippines!

Trainees and staff in front of SWMPC main office building

By providing access to capital, St. Williams has promoted the development of the local community -- and their membership is expanding beyond the Cordillera region to all parts of Luzon! They’ve also expanded their services savings and lending, now offering rice and corn processing, rice and corn trading, transport, farm input supply, four general merchandise stores, a pharmacy, an elementary school, a teaching farm and more!

Inspecting milled corn at SWMPC rice and corn processing center

Touring the SWMPC teaching farm

Trainees (and myself!) learned the basics of starting a cooperative from the St. Williams’ staff’s presentations, tours of their facilities and stories of their challenges. Traveling back to Santiago and onto Manila with the trainees, I was encouraged hearing their excitement to apply these lessons in their own communities. Myanmar in particular, in the process of transitioning to democracy from a military regime, has vast potential for growth as community organizing is a relatively new opportunity. We’ll watch and see how these 2 countries (and their Anglican churches) empower people to enhance their livelihoods, support their church and, in turn, assert themselves in true independence.

Trainees participate in a workshop creating a coop plan to generate income for their parish

International fellowship!

A provincial church's journey to self-reliance & sharing

Walking up the small hill to St. Stephen's Parish of Namillangan, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao Province, visitors are welcomed by good energy. Perhaps from the cool space shaded by the tall mango trees planted by the congregation sheltering us from the hot Filipino climate, or perhaps the array of tropical plants that surround the church building and throughout the compound, or maybe still it’s the open hearts of the church members, set on following the Good and sharing love with all.

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Ifugao Province, Philippines

Founded as an organized mission in 1976, the church community is home to members, most of whom are small-scale farmers, cultivating rice or corn fields and fish ponds. While not financially well-endowed, the members of this parish are strong givers. St. Stephen’s was able to become an aided parish in 2009 and a ‘full-fledged parish’ in 2013, being totally self-reliant and generating all operating expense funds. While some parishes achieve this through income-generating projects like farming or food production, others do so through creating a cooperative to support the church. St. Stephen’s, however, established self-reliance solely through membership giving. Fr. Constantio Abbugao, rector of St. Stephen’s, or ‘Padi Tando’, as called by all, attributes this success to preaching on stewardship, regular Bible studies and periodic retreats.

Even though self-reliance is achieved through giving, members are still keen on earning extra income for the parish and themselves. They have participated in a number of varied income-generating projects, including a beekeeping, livestock raising, water sanitation, microlending, and soapmaking. Through these projects they’ve learned lessons, strengthened their project management approach, and proven their spirit of resilience in overcoming challenges.

In 2008, the congregation began a beekeeping project in which the members would manage a hive in a newly constructed building adjacent to the church. Members were trained, materials were purchased, a professional bee consultant was hired. The feasibility study was complete, and by all estimates, the project would surely be a success. The bees arrived, and members were maintaining the hive. However, as the weeks passed, the bees became fewer and fewer. One thing the feasibility study did not account for was that the areas surrounding the community are corn fields which are heavily sprayed with chemicals which are toxic to the bees. The bees steadily declined, and the project failed.

St. Stephen's church members sharing their story of self-reliance with Anglicans from Myanmar and Mexico at E-CARE's recent International Development Training.

With the project’s remaining funds, the group decided to invest them in a livestock raising project with a ‘receiver to giver’ model. The first round of beneficiaries each received 2 piglets. They feed and raise them, and when the sow gave birth, the parishioner returns 4 piglets to the parish. Of this four, two go to the next round of recipients, and two are used for income to the parish. Thus, the project is self-sustaining and also supports the church. The church has granted back 70,000 pesos (nearly $1,600, exchange rate 2013) to the diocese. On top of that, additional income from the project has been used to capitalize a water sanitation and refilling project to serve the outside community’s needs for clean, accessible drinking water. Most of the project’s financing, however, was contributed by the lending organization’s own member share capital. The water project is still in the process of becoming operational. In the meantime, the organization is now tight on cash for its members’ lending needs

Organic pigs at St. Stephen's rectory

In 2012, the congregation used their existing building from the beekeeping project to begin a new enterprise: soapmaking. The community uses natural ingredients from readily accessible tropical plants and sells their products locally and through E-CARE outlet stores. Church members who assist are given a wage based upon the number of hours worked. Part of the income as well is dedicated to additional support for the church.

The three main church organizations [Brotherhood of Saint Andrews (BSA), Episcopal Church Women (ECW) and the youth organization (SKEP)] all have microlending associations with capital generated by membership support. Members borrow for livelihood projects and repay funds with a small interest. Even the SKEP has a microlending group, to gain experience in smart financial practice and the importance of cooperation early on. Using income from this lending group, the SKEP recently renovated the church’s front signage; even St. Stephen’s youth demonstrate true churchmanship and the spirit of giving! The BSA has a lending capital of 145,000 pesos; however, the needs of the group are now exceeding this capacity, as many are eager to further invest in farm livelihood projects.

Of the 266 total members of St. Stephen’s, 158 active members regularly attend Sunday services. On a given Sunday, nearly 100 fill the pews. Together they achieve the parish dream of self-reliance by giving through harvest offerings, annual pledges, special offerings and more to account for more than 430,000 pesos (nearly $8,600 at current exchange rate) annually.

Now, they are eager to enhance their savings and lending operations and continue to further the spirit of cooperation and sharing within the community and to accomplish the following objectives:

Organizing for Development: Vegetable Growers of St. Cyril Parish, Quirino

A Wednesday afternoon in Quirino Province, in a church nestled in the foothills of the Cordillera mountains, twenty or so women gather in St. Cyril Episcopal Church to discuss the policies and procedures for their newly formed cooperative organization. Most of the members sustain their livelihoods through vegetable farming, making barely enough to cover household expenses.

E-CARE community organizers walk in to join the meeting. The agenda for the day is to finalize the organization’s policies and procedures for member lending. E-CARE must oversee the process to ensure guidelines are in place so community.

The discussion begins with Jane, this community’s E-CARE project officer, making recommendations for the group and sharing policies of the Receivers 2 Givers program (through which community groups avail of funds which they then grant onto other communities in the program). The organization’s leaders, too, share their ideas, and members evaluate what will be best for their purposes.

The main point of discussion was the amount of share capital members should contribute before being able to borrow from the organization’s funds. Some were unhappy the set amount of individual share capital was so high (10% of the total amount they seek to borrow) because it prohibited them from borrowing a higher amount. However, this policy is necessary to ensure members don’t borrow more than they are able to repay and go into debt. E-CARE must ensure members are borrowing responsibly, so we oversee the fledgling organization’s policy development.

After the meeting, community members share their stories. This woman, like most in the organization, is a vegetable farmer. She appreciates how the AWD trainings
have equipped her with household budgeting skills. She avails of R2G funds and is thankful that the add-on is lower than interest rates of available lending options, so her family can increase their household income to send their children to school.

Another woman also avails of R2G funds to support her vegetable farming livelihood. She has struggled to make payments on time but is working hard to grantback and using skills gained through trainings.

All members share a similar experience: enhancing financial literacy through trainings, increasing their household income through the R2G program. Furthermore, as a whole, the community is enhancing their social capital -- forming bonds of trust and developing their ability to work together.

(Stay tuned -- videos coming soon!)

Happy Filipino Independence Day!

June 12 marks the day which the Philippines gained independence from Spain in 1898, after 350+ years of oppressive Spanish rule. After that, however, the Philippines would be occupied by the Americans for another 50 years before they would fully gain their independence as a nation.

Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, wrote essays promoting political reform under Spanish rule. Although he did not directly advocate for revolution, the uprising was inspired by his works, and he was put to death by the Spanish for treason.

Nationalist writers who furthered his ideology also asserted that any nation should account for itself as an independent member of the international arena. A nation should work to be able to support itself and the needs of its people, not dependent on foreign aid and catering to the wishes of a larger power. This value is captured in the vision and mission of The E-CARE Foundation too, which empowers communities to become self-reliant, harnessing their own strengths, and to in turn help their fellow countrymen.

From a visit to E-CARE's housing project in the Visayas region, which was devastated by supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013. These Filipinos aren't taking a handout, but building their own houses by making their own eco-friendly hollow blocks & selling the surplus to pay for their land. True asset-based development & Receiving 2 Giving transformation!

Back to the Philippines!

After a spell in the States, I’m back in Santiago City, Isabela Province in the Philippines! I’ve been back only one week so far but have hit the ground running with our sustainable rice cultivation project promoting the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation technique (which reduces methane emissions by 50% and uses 30% less water!).

Getting lost on a community visit to Diduyon, Quirino Province

Along with fellow E-CARE (Episcopal Community Action for Renewal and Empowerment) staff and the Bishop of the Diocese of Santiago, we visited several rural communities for organization development meetings and Receivers to Givers (R2G) fund disbursement. Being situated in the mountains, this required some off-roading and a bit of getting lost on provincial roads but were rewarded with views of green mountains as far as the eye can see.

This tour, I’ve been active with the video camera, interviewing farmers from E-CARE partner communities, capturing harvest time with new mechanization and even touring one of the largest rice mills in the world back in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Stay tuned!  

From Receiving to Giving

The E-CARE program strives to build the self-reliance of its partner communities, and while many projects have succeeded in being operational, they have not been as successful at breaking through “the destructive world views of dependency.” One cause is that large grant funding puts communities in the role of receivers, making them “more helpless and powerless as they realized that they can never generate these amounts by themselves and therefore it was solely upon the grace of others that they have received the same.”

Such has been the experience of the Church’s development program when it first adopted the ABCD approach. Recall the community with the independent spirit from the Cordillera Mountains that we mentioned here. Natives and migrants alike lived in a largely undeveloped area, and through communal and individual efforts, the community cultivated the land and built community infrastructure. The community applied for a grant through the EPC for a water system and post-harvest facilities, with the understanding that after the Church completed the project, the community was responsible for management thereafter. However, when these structures were damaged, the community turned to the Church requesting more funds for repairs.

The “seeds of dependency” were now sown into this once-self-reliant community; large grant funding had taken the place of their entrepreneurial spirit. Ironically, the community’s self-reliant spirit was identified as one of their strength’s during the ABCD asset-identification process. Even the ABCD approach which focused on harnessing a community’s existing strengths “did not and could not fully address the dependency and mendicants problem.”

“ABCD therefore was in danger of becoming just another by-word or concept meant to justify and smoothen the resource flow from external partners to local communities by providing the rationale for the latter to leverage external resources in a manner that was more acceptable to the funding partners but, in the end, did not actually make a significant dent on dependency. ABCD proved “no match” to the well-entrenched culture of dependency.”

In exploring the problem of dependency, a personal anecdote from the National Development Officer shares an experience of the effect of being cast into the “receiver” role:

“The National Development Officer (NDO) attended the General Convention of the Episcopal Church (USA) in Anaheim, California in 2009. Among several meetings attended, he was invited to a reception of the Stewardship Network which was then honoring a Taiwanese priest for his work on stewardship. More specifically, the awardee was being honored for his leadership over a Taipei congregation whose generosity made possible the construction of seven church buildings overseas. It was indeed a remarkable achievement. Prior to the awarding, a video presentation showed the work of this congregation and the church buildings it constructed. When the first of these building flashed onscreen, the NDO gladly recognized it as it was a Church in the ECP. The second church building was likewise in the ECP, and the NDO proudly acknowledged it. When the 3rd, 4th, and 5th buildings were shown, the NDO started feeling very uncomfortable as these were all in the ECP. At the photo of the 6th and 7th churches, the Taiwanese priest was called to the stage and was given a standing ovation but the NDO could not even move and just wanted to disappear from the room. All the seven churches were in the Philippines and he was so ashamed of himself, especially as the video ended with the message that it was more blessed to give than to receive.

Following the awarding, a keynote speaker by the name of Rev. Ed Baker was called to give a message. A brilliant preacher, he talked about the Sea of Galilee as being so full of life from Biblical times and even up to now. He contrasted it to the Dead Sea which, as the name implies, does not allow any living thing within its embrace. The difference between the two, he said, is that the Sea of Galilee receives water from the Jordan River and discharges the same water into the seas while the Dead Sea has an inlet but not an outlet. The Dead Sea only receives but does not give out water. What makes the Sea of Galilee so alive, dynamic and vibrant, Rev. Baker said, is the continuous process of receiving and giving out its waters. Conversely, what makes the Dead Sea “dead” is that it only receives but does not give out. It was at this point that the NDO finally realized the answer to the question of dependency that has eluded the [Development program of the ECP] for more than 20 years.”

What was born from this experience is the Receivers to Givers program, R2G for short, through which communities receive grants to support their development projects and then “grant back” the funds to another community, so while they initially receive, they are then empowered to give.

Only after undergoing the ABCD process, are communities eligible for the R2G program and able to procure E-CARE funds for livelihood assistance or projects like building water or agricultural storage systems. After a determined time period, the community then “grants back” the funds either directly to another community seeking to do a similar project, to itself to do another community project or for E-CARE to hold until another community is ready for their project.

E-CARE works with communities to find a time frame for granting back their funds that works for all involved; no one-size-fits all schemes here. Although, shorter grant back schedules are more favorable because the funds and their benefit is fresh in cooperative members’ minds. If they receive funds to purchase seeds for one agricultural cycle, then when they repay just after harvest, they will have settled their debt at the same time they reap the benefits of the investment, and be able to avail of more funding again. Furthermore, the engagement between E-CARE and the partner communities is more continuous and lessons are learned and incorporated to action more quickly.

While similar to a loan program in regards to providing funds, this program distinctly differs in that the money loaned to a group is not then returned to the loaning organization to do with it what they may, but the funds can be used only for another community project.

Requiring a 100% grant back encourages more efficient and sustainable projects and sustainability for the E-CARE program as the same funds are used again and again. In fact, E-CARE asks for less and less money each year from its external funding partners, the opposite trend of most organizations!

On top of the grant back, during a community’s second funding cycle, they contribute an additional 1.5% of the borrowed amount. From this 1.5%, 0.5% supports the administrative budget of the E-CARE program, 0.5% is offered to the local Episcopal parish, for the organizing work done by the local priest, and 0.5% is returned to the community organization, so they can build up their capital and become more self-reliant. Communities are only assessed a 1.5% rate when they are economically-able to do so, even if this will be after several funding cycles. Compared to the typical 3% - 5% per month on agricultural loans, this rate is a huge relief! While there is no legal requirement to grant back or pay an add-on, no community has refused to do so, excited about the opportunity to share their blessings with others.

At the time the grant-back is due, the community decides where the funds go. They may go back to their community for another project, passed on to another E-CARE community, passed on to another community not yet partnered with E-CARE, or placed in E-CARE’s care to be used for a future community project. E-CARE informs R2G communities about the needs of other groups, and repeatedly, communities are more than eager to gift their grant back to those in need, even granting back ahead of schedule to do so. When funds for a community’s grant request are unavailable, E-CARE may appeal to communities to pay ahead of schedule, which has always been met with a positive response. In many cases, communities do grant back early, even significantly in advance. For example, when Super Typhoon Yolanda (International name, Haiyan) struck the Central Philippines in November 2014, a community in the Northern Philippines announced that it was shortening its repayment period from 2 years to 1 year, in order to assist those impacted. Having so long been trapped in a cycle constantly being only receivers, communities are delighted to be able to share their blessings with others.

Relationships are key in this program. E-CARE and the R2G community must have a steady stream of communication to learn lessons and tackle obstacles, as well as between the R2G communities themselves The granting and receiving communities meet for the pass-on, which is done in a ceremonious way. Communities may mentor one another, as E-CARE sees opportunities for them to share knowledge with one another.

E-CARE’s relationship with its partner communities typically does not just last one project or grant cycle, as one project will not be enough to significantly elevate their economic status out of poverty. Communities may receive multiple grants under the R2G program, as long as they continue to grant-back.

Embracing the opportunity to become givers, communities often grant back significantly ahead of schedule, also providing them the opportunity to receive funds again. Each time the community grants back, with an add on, they are increasing their total capital. Furthermore, community groups also plan that when their collective capital reaches a certain amount, they will reduce the amount of grants they receive from E-CARE and become even more self-reliant.

Quotes and stories here are taken from the E-CARE Manuel of Operations.

Breaking Down the ABCDs, Part II

For the backstory of The Episcopal Church of the Philippines coming to adopt Asset-Based Community Development, check out my last blog post here. Read on below to learn more about Asset-Based Community Development and the path of The E-CARE Foundation.

The Development Program Learns ABCD
The Development program, itself, has also learned through experience that ABCD is more effective in sustainably supporting economic development than conventional needs-based models.

One community here in the Cordillera Mountains, before partnering with E-CARE, had a strong self-starter ethic: to secure a water supply, community members pooled their resources to purchase materials and create a system. Whenever there was a challenge, the community used their internal resources to solve it. The community partnered with the PEC’s Development program to build a more permanent water system, with the agreement that after it was built that the community would be responsible for maintenance and repairs. However, after a typhoon damaged the water system, the community returned to the Church, asking that they fix it. What had happened to this once self-reliant community? They began expecting that their needs be provided by an outside source instead of looking within to their own resources.

This project began when E-CARE was just starting to formally use the ABCD model. While this project did first identify the community's assets (during which its self-starter attitude was identified as a strength), the importance of community involvement during the project was a key point learned by the Development program from this instance.

ABCD Process
Now, the program has a structured process through which it orients communities on the program requirements and works with them to identify their assets When a community or community group comes into partnership with E-CARE, they must first participate in the ABCD process, or the exercises that community goes through to identify, appreciate and value local assets and capacities which they can mobilize for sustainable development. While communities that partner with E-CARE are required to participate in the ABCD process before they can receive funds for their projects, the process is not merely a ‘check in the box’ in order to get funding, but a distinct project in itself. One community even withdrew its application for funds after the ABCD process when it realized it could improve its water system using its own resources identified through the process.

The ABCD process enables communities to follow the lead of the Episcopal Church of the Philippines “to stop looking at others and start looking into itself so that it realizes and appreciates what it has and can look into what it can do with these.” The process also makes communities aware of “dependency-creating” development models and invites them to engage in a “glass-half-full” way of addressing challenges, looking at “‘God’s abundance’ within their midst.” One of the assumptions through which ABCD operates is that God has blessed everyone with gifts which can be used to maximize one’s potential. Through the process, communities identify and map their assets using visual aids. Finally, they participate in community visioning exercises to explore and maximize assets to discover the most viable options and create development vision and plans.

Challenges
The target communities for the E-CARE program are those facing debilitating economic marginalization. In this context where many are searching for their next meal, the rewards of a long-term endeavor like ABCD is difficult to envision and motivate one to act. The tendency here is to favor the dependency, needs-based approach. In this circumstance, E-CARE may then partner with a smaller group within that community which is interested in doing a project. After the community sees their success, others are oftentimes inspired to join in the effort.

Another challenge is overcoming the belief that agriculture can’t lead to a high level of economic development. Communities often underestimate their talents and potential. Most E-CARE communities are small-landholder farmers with inherited traditional agricultural knowledge. However, many undervalue this asset and believe that they cannot improve their economic status through their traditional livelihood.

Here, E-CARE may help the community to add value to their existing product. For example, one farming community up the road in my province here grew so much Chinese Cabbage, which can fluctuate in price and may not yield a high net value. So E-CARE brought in a food production specialist from the local university to train the community to produce kimchi, the delicious Korean fermented cabbage dish, for which the community can earn higher price for their product.

To further overcome the skepticism communities may have about investing in their traditional livelihoods for economic success, E-CARE commits to purchasing their organically grown vegetables and products. That’s where the E-CARE Marketing Centers and Cafe Galilea (the enterprise where I’m based) come in. Cafe Galilea serves organic vegetables, coffee, and meat produced by E-CARE partner communities, increasing the market for their products. And the marketing center (on the first floor of the building, and another E-CARE store in Manila) sells organic chilis, jams, wines, citronella, etc. produced by the local communities as well. Seeing the increased demand for their products through E-CARE’s commitment to market their products has encouraged fellow community members to follow suit.

E-CARE continues to encourage organic agricultural production through offering:

To purchase sustainably-produced rice at higher prices
Lower interest rates through cooperatives to farmers who produce rice sustainably
Advance payments to vegetable producers
Marketing assistance
Access to technology
Carbon-offset payments to agro-forestry development groups

After participating in the ABCD process, what can communities then do? Stay tuned till next week to learn about The E-CARE Foundation’s Receivers to Givers program!

Quotes and stories adapted from The E-CARE Foundation’s Manual of Operations.

Breaking Down the ABCDs, Part I

The E-CARE Foundation (standing for Episcopal Community Action for Relief and Renewal) is an economic development organization breaking the mold of traditional development models with the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) framework in mobilizing Filipino communities to harness their existing strengths to improve their economic livelihoods.

Episcopal Church Of the Philippines Development History
When the Episcopal Church established itself in the Northern Philippines in the early 1900s, it provided impoverished, indigenous communities with free food and education that instilled a sense of dependency and the idea that the Church is “a rich institution from which material benefits could be derived.” While education helped individuals enhance their skillset to improve their economic livelihood, community development remained minimal. Those educated moved to cities or abroad for higher compensation for their work, instead of reinvesting themselves in their communities; thus, the “brain drain.”

What resulted from the introduction of the Church into these once self-sustaining communities was a sense of dependency. The American Church model, along with its “costs of the structures and operates that sustained mission work or, further, the ‘cravings, desires and necessities of western civilization,’” was applied without much regard to the Philippine context. These communities couldn’t financially sustain such operations, so an annual grant subsidy from the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) began, which remained the main source of support for the Philippine Episcopal Church (ECP) for 100+ years.

Amidst the political and economic turmoil, rising unemployment and widespread hunger of the Philippines in the 1970s and 80s, the ECP remained financially well-off through this annual grant. However, realizing that it must act to address the country’s socio-economic challenges, the ECP began to build its capacity to financially self-support and created a Development Program that housed income-generating projects, such as poultry and rice farms, a hotel, a cinema and transport lines. Most projects failed “due to technical problems, lack of management skills, poor feasibility planning, and, most significantly, the lukewarm support for these ventures from general membership.”

For one, the Church’s image as a wealthy institution lead to its projects’ demise. While most people were living in poverty, they didn’t see the need to devote time and energy to support an already-rich institution. Secondly, the development projects were seen as ends in themselves, not as a means of social transformation in overcoming dependency mindset.

From these failures (and one success - the organization of cooperatives which acted as credit unions), it learned the following lessons for grassroots economic development:

1. Social projects need the full support of the people to succeed 
2. Full support is given only if the people have ownership of the project 
3. People’s sense of ownership over the project arises only if they are directly impacted by the project’s gains and losses 

In applying these lessons, the church shifted to community-based projects that catered to needs of the people, especially in areas with “massive economic marginalization.” The program grew to work with 200+ communities across the country on potable water and sanitation systems, agricultural support projects, irrigation systems, a cargo tram line, micro-hydro power projects and more.

Lessons Learned
Two strengths of the ECP’s development program is that it lives within the context it works and it incorporates lessons learned through experience into practice. While most development models’ only metric of success is financial which has “tended to weaken positive values and brought about self-centeredness” in this context, the ECP’s development program stresses that projects must “contribute towards the formation or strengthening of systems and relationships that embody the values of the Kingdom of God.” The program emphasizes building a loving and just community through the values of cooperation and enabling everyone to reach his or her full potential.

Another learning was that households in impoverished communities ranged in their amount of assets and that development projects tended to help those who already had some assets to access opportunities that micro-enterprise projects, water projects or coops provided. To address this, the development program pursued projects designed to help the poorest of the poor, those who could not otherwise avail of a development project’s benefits, while also supporting the entrepreneurial poor through credit and vital services.

Traditional Development Models
Many conventional development theories are needs-based, looking at what a community lacks and giving it to them. This may be large grants or providing them with water systems, schools, agricultural infrastructure, etc. The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t value the community’s capacity to improve its own economic well being. Being the ever-recipient of handouts builds the mentality that one is incapable of helping oneself and must rely on a benefactor to provide for his needs.

On the other hand, Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), developed in the early 1990s, focuses on a community’s existing strengths and resources, to leverage them to improve their livelihood. It’s also applied in the Diocese of Louisiana, which has created an asset map in the region. This model contrasts this traditional “needs-based” approach, which focuses on what a community lacks, and champions upon what a community already has to build upon that.

The Church Learns ABCD
ABCD isn’t just a model from a book that this development program haphazardly adopted; it’s been the M.O. of the Church since it boldly discovered firsthand that ABCD works.

While the Philippine Episcopal Church became independent from the Episcopal Church in the USA in 1990, 60% of its budget was still covered by the annual grant subsidy from the US. Wanting to truly achieve independence, the ECP created a plan to gradually reduce the subsidy until it reached $0 in 2007.

Initially, budget deficits grew, programs were frozen and salaries were delayed. In 2004, the annual grant subsidy still covered 14% of the budget. Parish priests felt they had exhausted all income-generating efforts, and most believed the ECP couldn’t reach the 2007 target. The ECP contemplated requesting a 3 year extension from the ECUSA. Instead, the Episcopal Church of the Philippines made a bold decision. It did the complete opposite and resolved to end grant support, not by 2007, in 3 years, but by the end of that same year.

Diocesan leaders and members were outraged, but leadership ‘bit the bullet.’ Many prepared for the worst (deficits, salary delays, etc), but none of these came to be. In fact, for the first time in 20 years, the ECP ended the fiscal year with a budget surplus of 3,000,000 pesos (about $55,000)!

“The Church learned that it is only when it stops looking towards others and instead starts to fully look into itself that it realizes what it has and what it can achieve with it…. It did not just read about, analyze and conclude that ABCD was an effective tool - it actually lived it out and proved it to be the correct approach to development.”

From this experience, the ECP officially adopted ABCD as the mode to pursue community development work.

Stay tuned till next week when we’ll explore how the development program now applies the ABCD framework when working with communities in the Philippines!

Quotes and stories here are taken from the E-CARE Foundation Manual of Operations.

9 Things you may not have known about the Philippines

1.  The Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands.

But only 2,000 are inhabited. Luzon is the biggest island, where Manila is located, and also where I am located. Specifically, I’m in the Caliking Barangay, Atok municipality, Benguet Province of Northern Luzon, amidst the Cordillera Mountains, which makes for awe-inspiring mountain views.

2.  Over 171 languages are spoken in the Philippines.

Most people I’ve met so far speak at least 4: Tagalog, English, Kankana-ey or Ibaloi, and Ilocano, the main language here in the North. I’m learning, but it’s challenging because I’ve only found few written resources on the language. The grammar is tricky; for example, the word “I” could be 4 different Ilocano words, depending on the context. Schools all teach English and Tagalog from the elementary level onwards, although a new government initiative is having classrooms taught in the local language, which is problematic in a classroom with students of different native languages, as is often the case here. 

3.  The Episcopal Church has been in the Philippines since 1898.

On September 4, 1898, the first Episcopal service was held for Americans and English-speakers when U.S. Forces occupied Manila. A service for Filipinos was held on Christmas of that year. In 1901, the Philippines was designated as a missionary area and received its first missionary and residing bishop, Charles Henry Brent who, interestingly enough, served as the Chaplain General for the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. 

In 1937, the Philippines transitioned from a missionary area to a diocese of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Fifty-three years later, in 1990, they became independent, forming the Episcopal Church of the Philippines. 

While more than 80% of the country is Roman Catholic, there are 125,000 Episcopalians, and here in the North, some cities are 95%+ episcopalian. According to our Bishop here, the reason is that although the Spanish occupied the Philippines for 377 years, there were 3 regions they were never able to conquer: Mindanao (the Southernmost island with a strong Islamic presence), Intramuros (the Chinese community just outside the walls of the administrative district in Manila), and the Cordilleras in the North. 

Bishop Brent, unlike other Protestant missionaries, did not seek to convert Roman Catholics to Anglicanism, “placing altar against altar,” so to speak. Instead, he worked to establish the church to serve English-speakers, Christians who did not have a church, and indigenous communities where the Catholic Church was not established. So when Episcopal missionaries arrived, they were better able to establish themselves without an existing Catholic presence. 

4.  The Philippines is the 13th most populous country in the world. 

More than 102 million people live here. Half the population lives on Luzon with me. And it feels like it. Well, in the cities anyways; the urbanization rate here is 1.25%. Manila is the most densely populated city in the world! It also has the most malls per capita. Very sprawling as well. Baguio, the nearest city to me, has seen rapid population growth and is now dealing with the problems of congestion and traffic

5.  Sugarcane, coconuts, and rice are the Philippines’ top 3 agricultural products.

Agriculture accounts for just over 10% of GDP here, and I am fortunate to live in the agricultural capital of the country. Benguet province, referred to as “the salad bowl of the Philippines,” supplies most of the vegetables to all other regions. Grocery shopping at the market is always an adventure; I’ve discovered so many new favorite fruits and vegetables! I’m also food tripping in the kitchen -- I’ve made sugarcane syrup from scratch and now incorporate freshly squeezed coconut milk into every dish and drink I can.

6.  The Philippines is currently under a state of emergency.

I was first made aware of this while driving up from Manila to my new home when our car slowly cruised through a Philippine National Police Checkpoint on the highway. Since then, I’ve cruised through many PNP checkpoints and Anti-Hijacking Road Blocks, with policeman armed with M16s peeping inside car windows. 

President Rodrigo Duterte declared the “state of emergency on account of lawless violence” on September 4, 2016, after the bombing by Islamic terrorists in Mindanao two days prior and also conveniently timed with his war on drugs. While police supposedly cannot search your car unless they see illicit substances in plain view, some suspect them of abusing their powers.

7.  The Filipino President endorses vigilante killings.

As part of his controversial campaign platform and now his administration, Rodrigo Duterte’s DU30 program endorses extrajudicial and vigilante killings of drug dealers and users. Police, “civilian police” (or policemen out of uniform taking extrajudicial actions), and “assets” (or regular civilians taking extrajudicial actions), have murdered over 4,000 people since. Of course, the concern is that one could kill someone he had a personal rife with under the pretense that the assassinated was a drug user. I’ve heard violence in the streets has increased significantly and people are refraining more from going out at night.

The President has also been recently accused of ordering murders of political, business, or personal enemies, during his term as Mayor of Davao. And, of course, he’s made plenty of headlines with his, um, spicy remarks towards towards the US ambassador, President Obama, the Pope…. Still, I’ve seen a surprising amount wristbands, arm sleeves, sleeping masks, car window tints, etc. with his logo of a fist emblazoned with “DU30.”

8.  The main mode of transport is jeepney.

If I want to go into the city, I stand on the highway and flag down a jeepney, a vehicle style that evolved from retrofitted military vans Americans left behind after WWII with 2 bench seats facing each other in the back. Jeepney drivers take great care to deck out their ride! Metal horns protrude from the front, a few hood ornaments may be mounted on, and the sides of all of them are painted with a mural depicting the Jeepney driver’s family, Marvel superheroes, an American Western landscape, and the like. The bumper and mudflap will usually have phrase thanking God. My jeepney ride to the city an hour away is only $0.75 USD.

9.  Country/Western culture is huge!

Maybe the mention of “American Western landscape” in the last fact caught your eye. That’s right: Filipinos in the North are about country/western music and culture! I’ve heard more classic country radio here than I have in the South!